The Horseman Chronicles
by ElementalShadow
Summary: The world was remade long ago and the forces that saved it were sealed away just as the forces that threatened it were. A child now comes across the power of the saviors...now he must fight for what he believes in...and for the sake of the world...or die.
1. Prologue

**This is the Remake of what used to be Horseman's Glory. The chapters are recycled and rewritten to be longer and things are changing that may affect the story. The writing has been revamped and things are better. It has been written in a style that Outbreak is part of.**

**The Horseman Chronicles**

**Prologue**

**Renascentia**

A young blonde boy that went by the name of Uzumaki Naruto ran through the streets of the village, trying desperately to get away from the mob of dangerous villagers who were out for his innocent life. He heard the roars and screams for his death closing in on him and he tried to run even faster. The whole time, he hoped and hoped that the old Hokage that had always protected him would come and save him from their wrath once more. His musings were cut very short as he came to a stop at the large gate that separated him from the Forest of Fire.

He was absolutely terrified on both fronts that he was faced with. On one end he would face a horrific beating unlike he had known before and on another angle he would be treading into unknown territory. He trembled as he was torn in his thoughts. _'I have to get away...they're coming for me! I have to run! I have to get away...'_

Naruto was torn form his fearful thoughts by the sounds of the closing mob and he began to shiver in fear. He looked to his right and saw that the Chunnin guards were not at their regular post and were probably drunk at some bar. He tried to steel himself as he thought his decision to himself. _'I don't have a choice...I have to run! I need to get away from here! I need to get out of this village!_

With his mind made up, Naruto ran into the thick and nearly suffocating darkness of the forest. He ran and ran, not stopping nor daring to look back in, fearing that they would be right behind him ready to grab at him. Naruto ran for nearly an hour and he soon felt his ribs beginning to throb from the pain of running for so long. The young blonde came to a stop beside a dead tree and sat down to let his legs rest.

As he sat down with his back against the tree, Naruto began to cry as he realized what was happening to him. _'They...they finally ran me out...they finally got what they wanted. They're probably celebrating right now in some sick bar talking about how their lives are easier now that I'm gone. Why, though...why don't they want me...why?'_

As his tears fell to the ground in a pool, Naruto had failed to notice the sign that was etched into the trees around him. They were something that looked like a symmetrical carving of four horses and they all began to glow with a faint light as he cried to no one. As the glow faded away, the bark of the tree began to peel away where he sat, revealing that it was hollow. Naruto was too late to notice it until he had fallen through the hollow tree.

His screams echoed all around him as Naruto fell into darkness. He tried to convince himself that it was a good thing, though; that maybe death would be his release from his cursed life. He was not lucky as he neared the end, and a light began to glow beneath him, showing that there was actually something underneath him.

As he fell into the light, he was sure that he would hit the ground and become nothing more than a splatter for someone to clean up or leave to fester in the humid air, but once more he was surprised as he landed softly in the center of a cave...as if someone were lowering him themselves.

As he stood up inside of the cave, Naruto felt an ancient and almost fearful power wash over his body. He kneeled down, as if to bow down to the demanding presence of the power residing in the cave. As it washed over his form, he failed to notice just what the ancient energy was coming from.

On the far side of the underground cave stood four doors and on each side there were torches. On the one door to the far left, there was a carving of a large symmetrical raven that adorned its smooth rock surface. On the one to the right of it was a carving of a very intricately designed pistol, though he knew not what it truly was.

To the right on the next door there was another carving but it was that of a scale with the left plate holding a human heart and the right plate holding what looked like a pile of gold, apparently to show that money was worth more than a human life. Wrapped around the scale seemed to be some sort of fiery whip. The final door was very intricately carved, showing that whoever had done it took great pride in their work. It held a carving of a glorious scene of war. People were torn apart and dried blood decorated the door as well, giving a very dark, brownish hue.

When Naruto was finally able to pick his head up from the overwhelming power, he was able to look around and he noticed the doors. He stood up, still feeling the power flowing around him, and approached the doors. As he did, a voice, evil and raspy, broke the silence like a finely sharpened blade. **"Well...it would seem that the ever powerful Four Horsemen have finally found the one who shall wield their power."** Naruto stopped dead in his tracks, turning to where he heard the voice behind him. The thing that he came to face was possibly the most horrific thing that he had ever seen.

It was a demon, or at least, that's what he was sure that it was. It had what looked like six horns on his head. Four small ones near the crown-like decoration on his head on either side and two large ones on either side of his head as well. He had large, gnarled teeth and his eyes were very…ominous with their evil blue glow. He floated on a misty substance that completely replaced his legs. He wore no shirt to cover his deeply scarred chest and wore a tunic-type robe around his waist that probably hid the stump where his legs used to be. On his right hand was a claw-like thing that looked to be very deadly if it were to be used as a weapon. His left hand was pretty regular except for the gnarled claws that decorated its fingers. On his waist hung a blue orb thing that had faces of terror swimming around in its open space and a curved horn hung beside it.

Naruto looked over the creature with fear and he began to tremble again. "Who...w-who are you?" The creature pulled his hand back to feign his shock and awe at the question. **"Why…you haven't heard of me? This is terrible, though it is not a big surprise to me. Well I...am Vulgrim...I am nothing more than a humble merchant and a procurer of…things. But this moment in time is not about me…this is about you, young one. It would seem that since you have not been brutally torn apart by the pure, raw power that resides within this place then you must obviously be the mortal that has been prophesized to appear millennia ago when the Third Kingdom was recreated."**

Naruto, being the five year old that he was, did not know what the demon merchant meant with his words. "What do you mean?" Vulgrim smirked making him look even more evil than before, as if he knew something that Naruto didn't…which, of course, he did**. "I mean, quite clearly I might add, that you are the Child of the Prophecy. Millennia ago, as I said, a child was prophesized to take up the mantel of the now deceased Horsemen."**

The boy still couldn't quite grasp what was being said. "Who were the Horsemen?" Vulgrim chuckled as he readied himself for the lesson to the young blonde. **"****The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse...they were the enforcers of a great and powerful entity known only as the Charred Council. They had one job and that was to ride forth at the End of Days and punish the wicked for their crimes. But...everything had happened too early and one of the Horsemen was framed for the crimes of a fallen angel. He was cast from the Council back to Earth to redeem his name. He eventually did, but in reparation for what he'd done, he needed the help of me and another."**

Naruto was still confused to no end. "Who was the other?" The boy's hardheadedness was beginning to irk Vulgrim, but he continued. **"The other was a demon that went by the name of Samael. He tricked the framed Horseman, War, into setting him free from his eternal prison. Samael was a tricky little cur until the seventh seal was broken. This action called forth the other Horsemen and brought War back to life after he had been killed by Heaven's Champion, Uriel. They fought Samael for nearly a century until they were eventually able to use their combined power to overpower him and imprison him once more, but this in turn destroyed most of their bodies. All throughout their journey, I was there. I was the one who gave them the power to do what they did. As I once helped them, I shall help you…for a price."**

Naruto looked down as he heard the demon merchant speak. "I don't have any money to give you...the villagers took everything from me before they started running me out of the village." Once more the demon merchant smirked with his dark chuckle**. "I do not use your world's money, young child. In Hell, the demons true currency is the souls of humans and angels. They are souls of the damned that have been sealed away into many different things. I can give you the sight that is required to see these souls, but in return, though, you will bring me souls to feed my hunger. If you do this then I will open the doors for you. Feed my hunger and I'll feed your curiosity."**

At hearing this, Naruto turned with a smile as he tried to run out of the cave but came into contact with a wall. He fell to the ground rubbing his head until suddenly the wall opened up to an open area covered with roots that came from the ceiling. He then felt a strange power enter his head. When he heard a voice, he was about to flip out. _**'Do not worry yourself too much, child. I am simply speaking with you through the mental link we established when you looked into my eyes. This comes with many advantages, allowing me the ability to give you certain things passively such as me giving the power of Soul Seeing to you. It is strictly a passive ability and you shall see all of the souls of the damned that wander the earth. I would not be surprised if you ran into some right now since you are staring into what used to be the ancient Forest of the Damned. Souls roam this area, constantly in torment. As you find the souls, be sure to draw them in using your Soul Gatherer.'**_

Naruto thought back. _'What is a Soul Gatherer?' '__**The Soul Gatherer is your arm. Everyone in the world has the ability to use it but none know how to utilize it besides the demons and the angels. You are supposed to channel you demonic power into your arm and it will do the rest for you. Soon the ability may even become a simple thing for you, child.' **_

As Naruto looked around, he saw what Vulgrim was talking about as he watched the souls of the dead float everywhere around him. He walked forward into the rooted area and everywhere he looked there were souls, souls, souls and more souls. He tried to visualize some foreign demonic energy filling into his arm and apparently it succeeded in filling him because the souls began to shoot towards him at an alarming rate. He cringed for the impact but felt only ecstasy as they coursed through his arm and into his body. He moaned with pleasure and was barely able to speak. "Oh...it...mmmm...it feels...so...GOOD!"

As he tried his best to control himself, he heard a chuckle in the back of his mind. _**'Hmhmhmhm...I see that you can feel the embrace of these tormented souls. It feels nice, does it not? It makes you want more?'**_ Naruto moaned as he tried to answer._'Yes…it just...feels so...good. It feels like Heaven on Earth!'_

As Naruto was soon on his knees in pleasure, he heard Vulgrim's voice again._**'I understand that this is your first but do not worry yourself over these pathetic souls, though. After you bring them to me and open the doors…you will have the strength to gather far tastier souls. Mmmm...the younger ones…they're the far more…delectable ones...I hope you found some...'**_

Naruto then realized that the souls were almost all gone and willed the energy to leave his arm. He then ran back into the cave as the wall closed up behind him and the feeling of power embraced him with warm arms once more. He looked around and once again came face to face with the demon merchant who had his sickening smile plastered to his face. **"You have done very well, child. Feed my hunger...and the doors shall be opened to you!"**

Naruto imagined a sort of pushing force on his arm and the souls flew out of his palm and into Vulgrim's mouth. He then heard Vulgrim's chuckle again as his eyes widened from the taste. **"Mmmhmhmhmmm...you did...you found…some of the younger ones…mmmm…spectacular! Barely...barely even a month old…so young…so pure!" **He then regained his composure as spoke. **"Very well! You have held up your end of our little bargain. It would be a shame if I were to cheat you on your end, wouldn't it?"**

Vulgrim turned to the four stone doors and waved his hand and they began to shake. They all soon opened with loud scraping sounds echoing over the cave. When they were wide open, Vulgrim spoke again. **"Seeing how young you are, you'd do very well to stay here with me until you come to an appropriate age that you can graduate the academy."**

Naruto looked about to speak out but the merchant cut him off. **"Yes…I know of your world's ninja villages and your academy students with their pathetic little training exercises. I may not dally in your daily lives but I do watch them with a great interest. I've seen the beatings that you've suffered through; I've seen the council meetings contemplating on what they were going to do with you...asking themselves whether or not they should kill you or turn you into a weapon for their use. That old man that you've looked up to for so long...he's no better than they are. You are dead to them. Stay here, my child, learn the ways of the Horsemen, then we shall send you back to that God forsaken place with all of their power. There you will make a reputation for yourself as the punisher of all the sinners and the destroyer of the wicked! All of those who have sinned against you shall bow at your feet begging for a mercy that shall not come for them! Will you accept my offer? Will you remain here with me and become stronger?"**

Naruto thought long and hard with his head beginning to hurt. _'He's right, everyone wants me gone and they were finally able to get rid of me...but...I just saved Hinata-chan from kidnapping the other month and she's just now starting to come out of her shell. I can't...I can't leave her...can I? No...I'm not leaving her...I'm going away...this is a training trip! I'm going away to get stronger for her! This is perfect! I can...but...what if she...no...nothing will happen to her while I'm away...don't fear for her...get stronger for her! I'll do it!' _Naruto looked at the demon merchant with a serious look on his face. "Fine…I'll stay and become stronger...for Hinata-chan..."

Vulgrim looked ready to burst with excitement as he heard the boy's conviction. **"Ohohohoooo...EXCELLENT! Now...you must enter the first door...and claim the soul...of Death!" **He pointed to the door that had had the raven on it and Naruto narrowed his eyes in determination as he walked forward into it.

The room itself was generally empty except for the black pedestal that sat in the middle of the room, shrouded in a dim light that came from something that sat upon the pedestal. He cautiously approached it and stepped into the light. Behind him, he heard the scraping of the door and he turned to see it close shut. He wasn't worried, though, and turned back to the pedestal that glowed with an ethereal light. On the platform there was a black mist that had a very dark feeling about it to Naruto.

He stared at the mist until he finally decided to reach out to it. He was fine until he hand touched it and the mist instantly shot into his right arm and his skin instantly paled to a deathly pallor. Naruto then felt a searing pain in his head and tried to scream out, but found that he could make no sounds. He fell to his knees in pain as he clutched his head and a voice invaded his mind. The very sound of it made Naruto's blood run cold from the sheer iciness of it. _**'You who have taken my soul, the Soul of Death...what is your name?'**_

Naruto had to groan in order to fight through the pain as he spoke out loud. "Grrrr...my name...is...Uzumaki...Naruto!" The voice made no sound until it spoke again. _**'You are handling the pain rather well for one so young, Naruto-san. I'm sorry...but you'll have to go through it just a little longer. You see...I am testing you, in a sense. I am going through your memories to decide whether you are worthy to take my power. You will go through the exact same procedure with my brothers and sister if you pass my test. If you cannot pass this test then your body will reject all of our souls and your body will crumble to ash. Do you understand?'**_

Naruto kept his mouth shut, afraid that he would scream out in pain. As the minutes passed while Death administered his test, Naruto could see images flashing through his mind. These images were of his past when he was being beaten...images of when he was in the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital. His disgust grew more and more with each memory and Death was faring no better than he was.

After what Felt like an eternity, the pain subsided and Death came to his mind once more. _**'This life that you have gone through, Naruto...it is without a doubt one of the most horrific things that I have seen done to a child so young. It is sickening that they would do this to you...you have passed my test Naruto. I was looking to see whether or not you had the ability to face death...and it seems that you have come close to it plenty of times. My power of Causa Mortis, the form of the Grim Reaper and my personal weapon, the Harvester are now yours to wield. Use them to defend those whom cannot defend themselves...**__**Otōto...'**_

Naruto opened his eyes as he heard the last word of Death in his mind. He stood up and soon heard the door beginning to open. He turned and walked from the room to see Vulgrim floating where he had been before he went in. He spared Vulgrim a single nod to show that he had succeeded and the demon merchant smirked in surprise. _**'The boy has been able to pass Death's test...but now he must pass Strife's...'**_

Naruto walked into the next room and the door did the same as the last, shutting while he walked towards a sickly green pedestal that looked to be crumbling to pieces, barely holding up the yellow mist that floated above it. He walked up and was about to stick his hand to it until he remembered the pain and tried to prepare himself for it. When he was mentally ready, he touched the mist and it shot into his arm once more.

As time passed, he did not feel any pain, but he began to feel a cold sweat break out on his forehead and he suddenly became nauseous. It took all of his willpower to not throw his guts up all over the floor. He doubled over cradling his stomach when he heard the next voice come to his head. _**'Sooo...you have passed my brothers test, eh? You must be very familiar with death...and you're so young! You must be one of those really twisted little fucks, huh? You like to chop people up into little itty bitty pieces, boy?'**_

Naruto was unable to control himself as the images of brutalized people made their ways into his mind. He heaved his stomachs contents onto the floor and groaned when the spewing finally ended. _**'Hmmm...weak stomach? Oh well...I guess I should administer my test then...this'll take a bit. Chill in that little puddle of bile while I'm going through your head, okay?'**_

Naruto was happy that the voice of Strife left his mind, but he couldn't help but still feel sick when he tried to stand up straight. He stayed bent over as he tried to speak to no one. "Damn...this..._*cough*_...this really hurts...I hope he doesn't take too long..." As if angels were watching him, Naruto was finally having something go his way as he heard the voice of Strife while the sickness subsided. _**'Kid...you've had one seriously fucked up life...people have put you through so much...yet deep inside of your mind you still want to prove yourself to them. You have faced the strife...the bitter conflict and the undeniable hate. I got to admit...I thought you were a pussy at first...but you apparently have a strong will. You have clearly earned the right to use my power of Cantus...my form of Vengeance is now yours to control...and my guns, Mercy and Vengeance, are yours to wield. You better not fuck this up kid...because if you do then I'll be the first to bite back.'**_

Naruto acknowledged the threat and got up, though still sweating from the sickness that he had suffered through. He turned and walked to the now open door and stood at the entrance while he stared sickly at Vulgrim. The merchant simply kept his smirk as he crossed his arms, watching Naruto walk up to the next door. _**'This boy...he is definitely the one of the prophecy. He has been able to pass Death and Strife's tests...Fury should be an easy pass for him...but War...he will definitely get into it with the child...'**_

Naruto walked into the next door and was honestly afraid of what he would be subjected to with this mist. As he entered, the door closed again and he saw a purple pedestal with a purple and very sparkly mist floating above it. For some reason, when he saw it he wasn't afraid of it...it actually seemed nice. He smiled a little as he went up and carefully pushed his hand into it. It didn't shoot into his hand as it had done before. Instead it gently and calmly was absorbed into his skin.

As a feeling of warmth washed over him, Naruto then heard a very soft and feminine voice come to his head. _**'So our host has finally come to claim us, has he? I was wondering when you would show up, master.' **_Naruto chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Uh...heheh...well...I'm no one's master..." The voice laughed warmly at this, causing Naruto to blush at the sound. _**'I can tell already...you have the potential to be a true leader. You are humble and know your boundaries...you have faced the fury, I'm sure. I do not need to go through your memories to know that you are capable enough to wield my powers. You will receive my powers of Donec Felis and you will gain a modified version of my Judgment form to fit your future manly physique. You will also be bestowed my weapon, Nullam Nunc; a whip forged by the great Ulthane, also known as the Black Hammer.'**_

Naruto nodded in thanks and blushed at the comment on his future looks. He turned as the warmth left his body and the door began to open behind him. As he walked through he saw Vulgrim rolling his eyes. _**'Fury never could find the heart to judge another even though it was technically her job...but now...the youngling faces the most brutal of all the Horsemen...the Rider of the Red Horse...War...and his encounter with him will be far different than the others.'**_

Naruto turned from the demon and made his way to the final door. He remembered what was on the door and feared what he would be walking into. As he passed through the doorway, the stone door immediately slammed shut, leaving Naruto in a room that smelled of blood and gore. He looked to the center of the room and found that there was no pedestal and no mist to touch. He looked around but failed to notice the ominous set of blue eyes that stared at him from afar, glaring a hole into his form.

Naruto soon felt the gaze and turned to it, finally seeing the eyes and he began to shiver in fear as a cold and indifferent voice spoke up. **"You who have come into my chamber...speak your name this instant!" **Naruto gulped as he tried his best to shrink in on himself. "M-m-m-my name is...Uzumaki N-N-Naruto, sir..." The way that the eyes in the darkness moved made it look as if the person had raised an eyebrow. **"Are you afraid, Uzumaki-san?"**

Naruto gulped again as he nodded his head and the man chuckled dryly, making the young blonde scared even more. **"You who have been able to pass my sister and brother's tests...you fear me? Why is that? Is it because I hold a shape of some sort? Is it because I can actually harm you?" **The young boy felt tears coming to burn his eyes as he nodded and tried to back up to the door. The man just narrowed his eyes. **"You fear me because I can hurt you?" **Naruto nodded again with his tears present in his eyes.

The person that had been staring at him apparently stood up and Naruto soon heard footsteps that finally brought the man close enough to be able to see him clearly. Naruto only cried harder when he saw him. The man looked like the embodiment of pure evil from the angle that Naruto was looking at him.

He stood far taller than Naruto and his piercing blue eyes seemed to stare into his very soul. He wore very large and bulky armor that would hinder any normal person, but Naruto had tossed out the idea of him being normal as soon as he heard his voice. He had tattered red cloth hanging from points on his armor and he had a red hood that shrouded him, only showing his eyes. His greaves were half as big as Naruto's young body was and the gauntlet that he had on his left hand was almost as big as he was and could very easily crush his frail little body. But what caught his eye the most was the large, scraped and scratched double-edged broadsword that he effortlessly carried in his disproportionate right hand when compared to his left. On it were faces of terror and anguish that had been forged into the metal of the imposing weapon.

Naruto gulped again as the man kneeled down to his eye level with strict shards of blue. **"Your eyes tell me all, young one...and I see that you apparently have good reason to fear such a monster like myself. You have faced death...you have faced great conflict...and you have faced the fury of the world. He only thing that you have yet to face...is true war. Though it is understandable for one so young..."**

Naruto had calmed slightly, as the man's voice had taken a slightly softer tone. He looked up to his glowing blue eyes and spoke. "So...what...what are you going to do?" The man, whom Naruto figured was War, spoke to him as he stood up. **"I'll do the same as my brothers...but under the condition that you are willing to fight for everything that you believe in and to never let people undermine your authority...can you do that?"**

Naruto narrowed his eyes and stood taller as he heard him talk. When War finished he nodded his head a single time and War smirked at him. **"You are strong...and Chaoseater will only make you stronger. My form of pure chaos will turn you into a true monster to be feared and my power of Horrida Bella will make you powerful. With our combined powers you also develop your own weapon, form and power but we will be very valuable to your growth as a warrior. You had better not let me down, Otōto." **Naruto heard his words and he smiled up at him until War burst into a red light and hit him full force, sending him back bursting through the door. Vulgrim jumped out of the way and watched as Naruto impacted with the wall, leaving spider-web cracks in the wall as he fell to the ground and curled in pain.

He stood back as he watched black, yellow, purple and red mist swirl around his body and he could see alterations beginning to take place. His tan skin began to pale to a ghostly white and his short hair began to lengthen down to his shoulders. When both of the deeds were done, the mists sunk into his body and disappeared. Vulgrim floated over to him and started to chuckle as Naruto's eye fluttered open and looked up to the demonic merchant. They were no longer bright, as the blue had become a pale version of what it once was.

As the blonde child rose to his feet, Vulgrim spoke in a low voice that would've sent chills down Naruto's spine. **"You have survived the tests of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse...and now you will become stronger. In time you will become a great and powerful fighter...but until then you will remain under our tutelage. Prepare yourself Naruto...for the next few years will be true Hell for you." **The young blonde only smirked, showing his canines and chuckling as he flexed his now clawed hands.

"I'll take everything you throw at me..."

_**END:**_

**I certainly hope that this was an improvement from Horseman's Glory. I have been away for some time and I will get back to work. Don't worry my loyal reader!**

**Elemental Shadow Out!**


	2. Chapter 1

**The next chapter of the new Horseman Chronicles. Fans of Outbreak fear not because I'm currently working on the next chapter but this one is a slow process. I'm sorry but I hope you enjoy my revision of Horsemen's Glory!**

**Also, to let people know, things in canon have changed but nothing major. Naruto is known as Tenebrae in speech but to keep people tuned on who is who, he will appear outside of speech as Naruto.**

**Disclaimer: I only own the sick and twisted shit that comes from my head. And apparently I have a new friend that visits me in the middle of the night and stands in my corner. He's a bit freaky but I'm getting used to it!**

**De Pugna!**

**The Horseman Chronicles**

**Chapter One**

**The Return**

Many years had passed since the day that the young boy known as Uzumaki Naruto had been ran out of the village. It had been a perfect eight years and it was also the day of the Gennin Exams for the now thirteen year old Shinobi Academy students. It was also nearing the day that, unknown to the populace of Konohagakure no Sato, the judging of their sins would soon begin.

...

Traveling along the dirt road to the gates was a large figure dressed in a black cloak with nothing but his gauntlet-covered hands showing to hold the reigns of the horse that looked to be shrouded in pure shadow. He looked to be generally normal until something resembling black smoke came out from under his cloak. The dark smoke came from him and formed a creature.

The creature had a narrow head and six eyes with scars all around his head, as if he were crushed by something. His hands were very bony and his fingers were long and cruel. His body was very beaten and battered. It wore a strange metal armor that gave off a slight blue glow. There were gauntlets on his hands and a chest plate with broken chains hanging off of them that gave the look that he had been held in a prison. He spoke in a raspy voice, though he had no mouth to speak of. _**"So, Naruto…you really weren't kidding...you are coming back to this place?"**_

The cloaked figure, identified as Naruto, spoke in a dark, echoing voice that sounded cold and unfeeling. "I have no choice, Watcher. I have a duty and I must punish the wicked in the world. If I am to do that then I must start here. This place is filled with corrupt and terrible people. They think that no one will come for their sins. Well I am here to prove them wrong."

"_**Thirteen years old and you're already driven by the duty to kill? I think I'm going to like you far more than War! He was just such a bitch to me..."**_ The cloaked person looked over to him and no emotion could be seen underneath the shadows, but his voice told all. "I care not whether you like me or not, Watcher. You are nothing more than simply a tool for me to use in the punishment of the wicked. And do not forget that I hold War's soul so you will not slander him lest I let him take over and put you down like the dog that you are."

The Watcher dropped back and crossed his arms. _**"Scratch that, I already hate you…"**_ "It is as I said...I do not care." The Watcher growled and disappeared into smoke underneath Naruto's cloak and Naruto then continued the ride into the village in peace until they were stopped by the gate guards. "HALT!"

The horse that Naruto rode stopped dead and looked over to them slowly. As the guards tried to keep their composure, they looked into its eyes they were captured in its black gaze, feeling a small pain creep up their spines. They could not scream as their mouths felt like they were held shut by some invisible force. Then Naruto, sitting atop the horse, spoke in his echoing voice while they had their lips clamped shut. "Umbra, there is no need to do this. I am sorry sirs; Umbra does not like to stop when he is on a ride. I often have a hard time controlling him myself sometimes. He is very free spirited..."

Naruto then felt a small feeling come from his horse and go up his spine as he shuddered under his cloak. He looked back to the guards "You are good people and have done no wrong to others. Would you be so kind as to point me to the office of the Hokage?" One of the guards shakily lifted his hand and pointed down the street to where the Hokage Tower was.

He nodded. "Thank you, sir; you are a nice person even in the face of a true monster. That is a very commendable trait." As he rode off, the two guards came out of their stupor. One named Izumo spoke up. "What...in the hell...was that?" His friend, Kotetsu, spoke up in a small voice. "I'm not sure…how did he know that we were good people? I mean we are! But...how would he know that if we're total strangers?" The Eternal Chunnin sat in quiet thought for once as time began to pass.

...

Further down the street, Naruto kept riding at a calm pace even though he could feel the looks that the other people gave him as he passed. He then heard the voice of his old friend Vulgrim come into his head. _**'So you're finally there, are you Naruto? It took you long enough, I'll tell you that. So...how exactly do you expect the Hokage to take your changes? Will they be in stride or in spite? Do you believe that he will accept you after what you have become? Will you be able to handle what he thinks of you?'**_

Naruto sighed underneath his cloak and one would be able to tell his head dropped slightly. _'As much as I would like him to accept me as I am, it doesn't matter what he thinks. I am here for a reason. If I do not get into the graduating class then I will have to just do my duty on my own. A team would be nice though...it would make things easier for me.' '__**You do have the Horsemen though. Why not use them?**_

Naruto rolled his eyes when he heard the voice of War come to his head. _**'**__**We can hear you in here, Vulgrim. We will serve him in battle with our powers for claiming us but we are not tools to simply be used.'**__'__**Oh hush yourself, War! I'm not meant to be a nice person. Besides, with your power, the boy would be able to destroy anyone on a battlefield. After fighting angels and demons simply for training, I highly doubt that a few humans will give him trouble.' **_The blonde warrior just sighed again as he tried to calm them all down. _'Will all of you just be quiet and let me do this in peace?'_

His head was soon silent and he was very happy about it. As time silently passed, Naruto finally made it to the tower and dismounted his horse near the door. As he walked away from the horse, Umbra melted into the shadows and was gone from the world, if only temporarily. The sight was very frightful to the people who had seen and some thought that they were simply seeing things and tried to pass it off as such as they continued their useless days.

As soon as he walked into the door, Naruto came face to face, or face to mask, with a white haired man who had his left eye covered by a Konoha Hitai-Ate and his head stuck in an orange book. The figure was quick to apologize. "I'm sorry sir; it is not very normal for me or my brothers to rush blindly into a door, except of course for my older brother...he's a hothead."

The man did an eye-smile. "No worries. May I ask who you are?" Naruto smirked underneath his hood. "My name is unimportant. But I am interested in you. There was a little boy who used to reside within this village. He went by the name of Uzumaki Naruto. You used to protect him with a burning honor, where were you the night he disappeared?"

The man was taken aback by the question. _'How could he possibly know about him? Naruto's existence was practically wiped from the books after his disappearance.' _He sighed as he spoke. "I...I was assigned to protect him that night. When he was being attacked I tried to help but I was held back by one of the newest members of ANBU and he hated the boy with a passion. I couldn't do anything when he knocked me unconscious. I still blame myself for not being able to protect him. A few days after it happened I was torn and quit the ANBU. I tracked down the man after he left and fled the village. When I found him I couldn't bring myself to kill him. Something in my head told me to forgive him. But...there is no forgiveness for me...I couldn't protect Naruto..."

Naruto was silent as he thought. Then he spoke in a tone that was what seemed to be happy from the way his pitch picked up a bit. "Your words are sincere, sir. You shouldn't berate yourself for something that you had no control over. Forgiveness was the right path to walk down and I'm almost completely sure that the boy shall return here one day. Maybe...just maybe...it might be sooner than you think."

He then walked off, leaving the white haired, one eyed man to his musings. As he walked up the stairs, Naruto came to a door that he remembered greatly. He heard talking on the other side and he decided to take a seat on the bench in front of the assistant's desk. Naruto had to admit that the woman was beautiful. She looked like she would be about five-foot-eight, about two inches shorter than he was at five-foot-ten. She had long, silvery hair that looked to be soft to the touch and her eyes held the look of a storm with their gray tint that only made her face look more beautiful. The woman would occasionally cast a curious glance his way until she finally found the courage and spoke up to break the tedious string of silence that she was held to everyday that she worked in the building. "Who are you?"

Naruto looked up to her and his eyes flashed an ominous blue in the darkness underneath his hood, frightening the beautiful woman slightly. "My name is not important, but I would like to know who you are. You are not the same assistant from eight years ago. You are far more...pure; I guess is easily the best word to describe it."

She blushed at his comment, forgetting the tingle of fear that she felt before. "My name is Meimei, sir. The Hokage got rid of the last assistant because she was one of the people who helped to run Naruto-kun out of the village. He then picked one of the nicer people in the village that actually supported him, which just so happened to be me."

He nodded with a smile, though she could not see it. "Meimei...Divine...it is a perfect name for one so pure. I'm sure that the Creator would be proud of you." He scowled slightly at the thought of the Creator when he said the name. _'Humph...just saying that man's name leaves an awful taste in my mouth. I hope that one day he and I meet face to face...so I can tear his fucking heart out...'_

As he finished his musings he heard the door open and the people inside walked out. He stood to greet them and held his hand out. "How are you, I am…not important enough to mention." The man dressed in the white and red robe took his hand with gusto, despite not knowing who Naruto was at the time, and introduced himself. "Hello there, I am Sarutobi Hiruzen. These two here are my advisers, Koharu and Homaru."

The two that he signaled to nodded their heads at Naruto but the blonde didn't even acknowledge them...he just stared at the Hokage with, to them, unknown intent. "I appreciate the introduction, Hokage-sama, but might we be able to talk away from unwanted ears? I would feel better if this particular conversation stayed between us for certain reasons."

Hiruzen looked at the man in suspicion until he finally signaled the two of them to go. He then led him into his office while the other two walked away. When the office door was closed, the Hokage took his seat behind the large semicircle desk. "I know that you are no assassin, otherwise you would've tried to do this quietly with little to no human contact. You are more than likely not any type of emissary from a village, for you neglect to wear any insignia that states so. Might I know your business here in Konohagakure no Sato? Namely your business with me?"

The cloaked figure took a seat in front of him and stared him down with the only visible thing being his ominous blue eyes. "I have come to you with a mutually beneficial proposition for both you and me, Hokage-sama. I am looking for a village to align with at this time and since that I'm only of graduating academy age I was hoping that I would be able to join the graduating class of this year?"

Hiruzen was surprised at the forwardness of the man, or kid now that it was known. "So you wish to take a graduating place in the academy? I don't know if you would be able to do so because our students are taught certain things that some of the other main villages do not. Do you meet the requirements for the graduation class?"

The figure kept his eyes on him. "Might you be able to refresh my memory on the requirements for this?" The Hokage nodded as he began to go down the list of requirements. "Well the first requirement is that you be able to perform a henge. The next thing is that you are able to Kawarimi with anything in the classroom and the final thing is that you must create three bushin. Are you able to do this?"

Naruto nodded at this but then a certain thought popped into his head. "Does the type of bushin matter, Hokage-sama? I use a type of clone that may differ from your generic academy version." Hiruzen shook his head with a small smile. "No it does not." Naruto nodded once more as he spoke back. "Then I can do this."

"I will need you to reveal yourself, though, before I can integrate you into the graduating academy ranks. I need you to know that you will have no shot at the title for the Rookie of the Year, though." Naruto scoffed at the thought of the popularity based title. "I care not for your petty class rank titles. I am simply here in this village to make a reputation for myself. I do not wish to dally with your little certificates of popularity or even your ninja. The team that I will be placed on will simply be a ploy for the others to find me."

"What do you mean?" Naruto pulled up his cloaks sleeve up to reveal an arm that was covered by a gauntlet. On its wrist was a series of bracelets that had teeth and feathers of varying shapes, shades and sizes on them. "I am what your people would call an exorcist but I am of a different kind. I am the final...I am the Fifth..."

Hiruzen looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What is the Fifth?" The Hokage was very confused. Naruto's eyes flashed from blue to red. "I am the Fifth and Final Horseman. I am the child prophesied ages ago to fight the next coming of a great demon." They then flashed back to blue. Hiruzen just sweat dropped. _'This kid is serious? I think that I should have Inoichi give this kid a psych evaluation.'_

His blue eyes closed and there was only shadow underneath the hood of the cloak. "You think that I lie or that I am simply crazy do you not? I am neither; I can assure you of this, Hokage-sama. I will say that I must use the cover of a student to throw my enemies off of my trail whilst I regain my power from my last fight. I had to fight a demon that just wouldn't die and I used up nearly all of my power to take it down."

Sarutobi sighed as he propped his head up on his fist with his elbow on his desk. "Okay...so let's say that I believe you and take that everything that you're saying is completely true. That still doesn't answer the initial question of who you are." Naruto's eyes flashed once more. "Hmhmhmhm…I am not surprised that you do not know my name, Hokage-sama. But I am sure that you know the name of who I used to be." Hiruzen looked on in confusion and awe as the man stood and expertly flung his cloak off in a dramatic manner.

His skin was paler than death itself and was as muscular as an athlete. He wore a very shiny silver armor that was covered in ancient runes and smelled of the irony scent of blood. He wore pauldrons that were decorated on the left with an embedded face of pure terror while the right was a simple triple-spiked pad. The gauntlets he wore were different in many ways. The one on the left seemed to match the shoulder armor perfectly with the faces of death that were embroidered on it. Each mouth had a miniscule amount of energy that seeped out of them. The right gauntlet was a simple piece of armor but was covered on every inch with runes. While the gauntlets were different, though, they fit him like a glove. The metal chest plate that was around his body was so tight that it was molded to the muscles that resided underneath it. They were also covered in runes. His greaves were very intricate in their design. The feet were in the shape of boots made of metal and had spikes running around the heel and two on each sole. The knees were spiked and seemed to be dangerous in their own right. The armor had pieces of black cloth that hung off around the shoulders and the waist and he also wore the bracelet of teeth on his wrist. Chains also hung off of his back and his wrists. The thing that caught the most attention from the old man though was his face.

His face was as pale as a ghost and his eyes were no longer completely blue and had reverted back to the cerulean blue orbs that they had been. He had very deep whisker marks on either side of his face and his canines were very sharp, like a vampire. His hair was blonde but was slicked back flat on his head to give him a very regal and dangerous look, matching the armor that he was wearing.

"I think that you know who I used to be before the shit-filled fleshy sacks of this village ran me out. But do not get excited, while I still am who I was, I have been changed by this world. My body and soul are Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto...but I no longer hold that bastards name...the sickly name given by a village built on pain, torture and suffering." Hiruzen was surprised at this. "Then what shall I call you by?"

Naruto looked at him with a pale face of seriousness and blue shards with a deathly aura. "I am every shadow that crouches in wait to pounce upon the light...I am every fear that every person has ever had since the dawn of the Third Kingdom! The wicked will tremble in fear and the weak will look at me in awe! I am a Bastion of Peace and a Harbinger of Death! This world will know me as Death Incarnate! I shall be the strife that all face and the fury that all have within...and when war comes to the world...I shall be the one that you find at the center of the battlefield. I...am Tenebrae...the Horseman of Darkness..."

Sarutobi stared at the newly dubbed Tenebrae and raised an eyebrow. _'Naruto...I knew you were different...but I never truly thought that you were insane...' _Naruto's eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms. "I've already told you that I am not insane, Hokage-sama. I would like it if you didn't think such things about me."

Hiruzen's eyes widened but before he could speak, Naruto did. "I also said that I am not a telepath. I do not know what you are thinking. I can only suggest from your facial expressions and yours have said that you think that I am either lying or I truly am insane. I tell you the truth, you worthless, old monkey."

The Hokage's heart rang with pain as he heard the insult leave his surrogate grandson's lips. He looked down and spoke in a small voice. "Oh...okay...I'm sorry, Na..." Naruto instantly interjected into the old mans sentence. "I have already stated that I am not Uzumaki Naruto any longer. I am Tenebrae and you shall address me as such, Hokage-sama."

The same pang was felt in the old mans heart and he nodded. "Yes, Tenebrae-san...you may go now. Just report to the Academy tomorrow when school starts and you will be integrated into Umino Iruka's class. He will announce you and you will have to tell a bit about yourself but past that you will just take the test that all the others take."

Naruto nodded and turned to walk from the room. But before he could truly leave he heard the old mans voice again. "Tenebrae-san..." He looked back over his shoulder to the broken Hokage and raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Hokage-sama?" The old Fire Shadow looked up with a serious look and spoke. "You say that you are a punisher of the wicked...but I can't allow you to run around killing those that did wrong against you. I know that you wish to take them down...but I will have to go after you if you do such a thing."

Naruto smirked as he turned back to the door. "I did not come back to this place to simply get revenge, Hokage-sama. I came back only because I needed a place to get started. Fighting up until now has been for training. I am hoping that by joining this village I will be able to fight stronger opponents and get stronger before I must do what was prophesied..."

Hiruzen spoke back to him when he heard the final sentence. "Just what is this prophecy that you speak of?" Naruto nearly turned into a statue when he heard the question but he soon calmed down and turned to the Hokage with a serious face. "If you wish to know of the prophecy then I hope you have quite a bit of time, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen waved his arms in a manner that told Naruto that he had as much time as he needed. The blonde warrior nodded and sat in the chair once more before crossing his legs and lacing his fingers over his lap. "So...you wish to know about the prophecy, eh? It's simple enough to explain but understanding it is another matter entirely. Basically, it was told that a child would be born to take up the mantle of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

Sarutobi's brow rose once more in question. "Who are the Four Horsemen?" Naruto smirked as he readied to explain. "The Four Horsemen are the ones that were to ride forth at the End of Days and punish the wicked; be they Lords of Heaven, Dregs of Hell, or Kings of Man. To make a long story short; the Apocalypse was started too early and things had to be set in place so that the Third Kingdom was rebuilt. But before that could be done, the Horsemen were put up against a demon that had more than enough power to wipe out the world nearly two times over. This demon had the name of Samael...the Prince of Darkness."

The old man's eyes were narrowed in seriousness as he learned of the story behind the prophecy while Naruto continued. "He was originally locked away after trying to overthrow the Destroyer, but my brother, War, had to free him in order to kill the destroyer. When that was all said and done, the other three, my brothers and sister, were called down to help him in fighting off the evil that had been released by his hands. It took them a great time to get him back into a prison, but they did it. In the process, they had to seal away their powers and wait until one that was strong enough to hold all four of them came along. That was me."

His eyes were wide by now as he kept on listening to Naruto story. The main points that he got, he voiced. "So...you have more power than a demon that had enough power to wipe away the face of the planet?" Naruto's eyes narrowed but he nodded his head, figuring slightly where things were starting to head. "Yes...I do. Why does that concern you?"

Sarutobi shook his head with a smile as he waved him off. "No particular reason, I was just making sure that I got the gist of things." Naruto smirked as he spoke again. "You only got the gist of my power...but you don't understand the prophecy completely. You see...my coming...means that soon...Samael will come forth to try and conquer this world over again."

The Fire Shadow's eyes widened and his skin paled when he heard this. "What..." Naruto nodded as he closed his eyes. "You see...with my powers now active for the last eight years, I would say that this world has five more years until Samael can resurface to take this world himself. But the Time of Foreshadowing is coming upon us. He will send the Five to come and try to destroy me and if they succeed, which I highly doubt that they will, then he and his vast armies will march upon this world with no one to contest him."

If it were possible, the old man's face had become even paler at the prospect of that, but then he had a thought and the color slowly came back to him as he spoke. "But if we were to fight back against him with the combined force of all of the Elemental Nations then we would be able to beat him back right?"

Naruto's eyes widened with a smirk that basically asked the Hokage if he were a complete idiot. "Do you understand what you're saying? HA! If you were to face his army then you would probably take down little over a hundred of them before they slaughtered you all! Fighting an army of the things that I have faced would be suicidal to people like you!" Naruto then calmed himself and tried to speak in a civilized manner. "But anyway...no, you would stand no chance against his army. He alone could wipe this village away with a single swipe of his hand and not give a single one of you a second thought."

As he looked at the old man, he found it funny with all of the surprised looks that he made. After a few minutes to let the information settle, he spoke up once more. "Now, Hokage-sama...do you fully understand the gravity of this prophecy? Only I and eight others can stand against him." At this Sarutobi was once more confused. "Eight?"

Naruto's smirk seemed to be permanently glued to his face. "Why...the eight other Jinchuuriki of course. The eight other Jinchuuriki can face him if they were to band together, but it would require that their teamwork be flawless and they make no mistakes in executing an attack on him. They would also need to be able to perfectly converse with their Bijuu to be able to access their beast's power and take their true form. I'm currently learning how to do this from Kyuubi-san."

When he heard this, the Hokage's eyes narrowed further. "How do you know of the Kyuubi?" Naruto narrowed his eyes right back. "You think that I did not eventually figure out why I had been run out of this rotten excuse for a village? I learned of it the day I left, OLD MAN! I learned of it the moment I began training that night!" The harshness of his tone made Hiruzen reel back a little but he regained his composure and spoke back. "I guess that you are right, but can you do what you suggested? Are you able to perfectly control the Kyuubi?"

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Unfortunately I cannot because I already hold too much power. While I have the capacity to control the beast at its fullest, it would be fatal for me to do such. I would be overloading my coils with too much when I hit the ninth tail. Up to eight I can control myself without major physical harm, but at the ninth I would have, at the most, ten minutes to live before my body burns itself up"

The Hokage looked at Naruto in surprise. While he didn't want to think of Naruto as a weapon, he couldn't help but think that he was a very powerful asset to the village. _'I need to find a way to make sure that Naruto stays rooted within the village! I can't let this kind of power fall into anyone else's hands!'_

Naruto watched the old man with calculating eyes and noticed the flash of greed that flowed into his eyes while staring at the blonde's powerful form. While he had his assumptions, he decided to keep them to himself, wishing to see the possibilities to their fullest. The boy stood up and bowed before turning. "I shall be on my way now, Hokage-sama. I wish to see just what has become of my old home. I bid you farewell for now."

As Naruto walked out of the room, he left the old Hokage to his thoughts and the aforementioned man leaned back in his chair, letting his arms fall limply to his sides. "I cannot believe that you are back with us, Naruto-kun...and you are more powerful than any of us could've ever hoped to be. I'll definitely have to find a way to make sure that you stay with us."

_**END:**_

**I hope that this was a definite upgrade from the original version.**

**R&R**

**Elemental Shadow Out!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Next revision of Horsemen's Glory! I hope that it is up to snuff! I am also giving a certain character more of a part in the story. I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Darksiders.**

**De Pugna!**

**Horseman's Glory**

**Chapter 2**

**Innocence**

Naruto exited the Hokage's office and saw that the assistant was still there. He waved to her with a smile and she blushed at the sight of his uncloaked form. While he looked deadly, she couldn't help but think that he was also sexy at the same time. She spoke with a small voice while brushing a strand of her hair out of her face. "I take it that your meeting with Hokage-sama went well?"

Naruto nodded with a small smile. "I got my point across and I was able to get things arranged the way that I wanted them." Meimei smiled up at him and nodded. "I'm very glad that you had things work out your way, sir!" Naruto waved his hand and flashed his old foxy grin. "Please, Meimei-chan, just call me Tenebrae." She nodded with a small blush again. "I'm glad to finally know your name, Tenebrae-san. It sounds so exotic! What language is it and what does it mean?"

Naruto smiled and walked over, placing his left hand on her desk softly before kneeling down. "My name is part of a language that has been long dead to the world. I learned of it on my travels and found a work that matched me perfectly. My abilities have allowed me to make darkness my friend, source of power and home. That, Meimei-chan, is what Tenebrae means...Darkness. Though when I give it a bit of thought the name can be very misleading, as I can be a very nice person most of the time. I just use the name because it defines what I embody."

She smiled and nodded, understanding what he was meaning. "I think that whatever name you choose is perfectly fine, Tenebrae-san!" She looked down to the clock that sat on her desk and she gasped before she started to gather her things up and put them into a bag that she had placed beside her desk. "I'm so sorry but I need to get going now, Tenebrae-san! I have to get home and let the babysitter off!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow and spoke. "You have a child?" She nodded and frantically tried to get her things together. "Do you have a husband?" At this question she froze completely. She stopped moving so fast and her eyes held a pained look in them. She shook her head slowly and resumed putting her things up, albeit at a much slower pace. Naruto frowned slightly at this and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She stopped and looked at his gauntlet-covered hand that covered her whole shoulder. She couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the sight.

Naruto caught the funny side of what she was laughing at and couldn't help but laugh himself. She stopped laughing and started to put her things into her bag. Naruto couldn't help but speak. "I find it very hard to believe that someone would willingly let someone as beautiful as you go. You are an excellent conversationalist and you are...hmmm...how to put this...you are a very beautiful woman, Meimei-chan."

She blushed at the comment with a small smile but she didn't look up at him as she continued to put the last of her things into her bag. "Thank you, Tenebrae-san..." She kept her smile as she stood and put her back over her shoulder, looking Naruto in the eyes with her pearly white smile. "I would hope that I can see you again sometime, Tenebrae-san." She then walked off as Naruto waved her off with a happy smile. _'She seems to be a very nice girl...'_

...

Naruto had quickly taken his leave from the Hokage Tower when Meimei left and now walked down the streets. As he did, he noticed that the villagers were staring at him, though now they had looks of hate and disgust. He could only surmise that they found some similarities in his face with who he used to be. _**'It seems that these pathetic villagers do not know just who you have become now, Naruto-san. I think that you should make an example of them…a very bloody example.'**_

_'No, Vulgrim. I came back to this place and I am here to punish the wicked. I am not here for any form of revenge. These people may have run me out but there are some, though very few, who still hold some pure space in their hearts. But that does not mean all of them are innocent. And they now prove my point...I sense something...a horrid crime...'_

When Naruto sensed the air of crime, he greatly thanked the Creator, even though he despised him, that the sun had gone down. He soon began to feel his power come to him in the darkness and he melted into the shadows that were in the alley he'd just passed. He had always liked Shadow Travel. He personally thought it was faster than the Shadow Flight that War had given him as a gift for freeing him. While in the shadows he could see and hear anything that he wanted and at that point was the perfect spy.

As he walked through the cold air inside of the black abyss, Naruto felt the sickening energy that permeated the air get stronger and he could smell the thickness of the lust in the air around him, even from his own realm of shadows. _'This…this crime...this is the worst possible crime any man could ever possibly commit! There is no forgiveness! NOT FOR THIS!'_

Voices filled his head, agreeing with him fully and practically pleading with him to murder who would do such a thing. As they ran through his head, only a single voice made a better presence in his head. Vulgrim's voice snaked through all of the other voices and seemed to whisper in his ear. '_**Yes, child, now use the powers you hold now to their fullest and damn his soul to the foulest pit in any of the nine Hells!'**_Naruto's eyes became the piercing full blue once more as he felt his anger well up. _'I intend to…'_

As he got closer to the scent, Naruto had enough and forced himself from the shadows, blasting him from the wall of a building. As he shot from the wall, he armed the Abyssal Chain to his right arm and shot it towards a wall and felt the jolt as it attached and pulled him towards it. As his feet hit the wall, he left cracks and shattered the two windows below him sending glass to the alleyway. _'That was close.'_

'_**It's not like it would've mattered! You're a Horseman for God's sake! Just take the fall!'**_ Naruto growled both out loud and in his head as he shot back at the Watcher. _'Hush yourself Watcher! I try not to draw attention, unlike you.' _There was no retort and he hoped that the sprite had learned his lesson. Naruto let the chain retract and slid quietly down the wall before he landed with a soft thud.

_'I think that it is time to find our rapist…and rip his dick off before pulling him apart...nice...and slow...while I shove his entrails down his throat and shove his useless little prick up...his own...ass!' _In his head, Vulgrim was having the time of his life listening to the threats that Naruto said to himself._ '__**Ooohoohooo…that sent chills up my spine! Go now! Get them! Use your power! Show them what it means to be a Horseman!' **_While he was severely tempted to go berserk, Naruto let his emotions calm down and his eyes returned to normal. He walked out of the alleyway and instantly heard screams coming from down the way. "GET AWAY! GET AWAY! HELP ME! SOMEONE HELP ME, PLEASE!"

He let the voice guide him as he ran toward the sound of screams and clothes ripping. When he finally got there, he was appalled to say the least at the sight before him. He came to the sight of a girl, only thirteen, being raped by not one, but two men that were easily three times her age. Her hair was long and reached below her shoulders and had lavender color. The perfume she wore gave off the same hint of lavender even through all the lust in the air. Her eyes were pale, almost as if she was blind but Naruto recognized her as a Hyuuga. Her clothes were ripped off to the point that her forbidden flesh was revealed to the world.

He was furious and could not contain his anger as his eyes flashed to a full red and his face became far paler while his whisker marks became deeper and more pronounced. The energy from his left gauntlet now poured out as if it knew the anger of its master, sending a stream of souls to the ground to run like a river. His voice echoed and caught the attention of the two men. **"****YOU WHO DARE TO DO SUCH THINGS AS THIS TO A WOMAN! FACE ME NOW!****"**

The first man, who had his dick hanging out ready to penetrate, turned to the Warrior of the Shadows spoke with a cocky attitude. "You think you can do anything to stop me? You may have some flashy armor but you got nothing on me, kid!" It was when his head turned towards him, that the man made his first mistake. Naruto recognized the Konoha headband that hung around his neck and prepared to go off. **"HOW DARE YOU, A SHINOBI, DO THESE DISHONORABLE THINGS TO A CITIZEN OF THE VILLAGE THAT YOU HAVE SWORN TO PROTECT? I WILL SEND YOU ON YOUR WAY TO HELL AND YOU SHALL NEVER SEE REDEMPTION FOR YOU CRIME YOU SICKENING SON OF A BITCH!"**

The other man looked up and could only watch in fear with his counterpart as the energy began to gather around Naruto's arm before it began to form something resembling a sword. The form then became metal and solid and they stared on in a daze of combined fright and awe at the sight before them. The sword had a foot long hilt that was wrapped in tattered black cloth, making it look like it was well over a few hundred years old and at the end of the long hilt hung a black feather that swayed in the wind. The blade itself was almost about two inches wide and was well at four feet long. Along the blade, runes were carved into it making it glow with a black fire. The blade was black onyx that reflected no light that came from the moon with small chips in the edge of it.

They looked on in confusion as he stood aside as if to let them go. They tried to get running, but were stopped by the next fearful sight. They watched in fear as a horse, darker than the blackest of nights, came from the ground in a pillar of souls and black fire. He grabbed the reigns of the horse and slung himself onto its back. The equestrian creature stood at a standstill ready to charge until Naruto spoke up.

"**You both should know this...that at this point there is no escape for you. If it were not against what I stand for as the Harbinger of Justice, I would make you suffer beyond even your wildest imagination! But luckily for you, as deemed by the Creator, I must make your deaths as swift as possible without harm coming to the lady that you dared to try and violate. But make no mistake...your next life will be hell. Now...DIE!"**

As Naruto yelled out, Umbra charged them and they tried to run away but they were easily caught by the supernatural Steed of Darkness. Naruto raised his hand that held the sword and swiftly brought it down. In one clean cut, the men's head's were severed from their bodies. Their bodies never reached the grounds as they were transformed into pure shadow and absorbed into the sword. Naruto turned on the horse to face the woman who now cowered in fear trying to cover herself up from the world. He felt the anger in himself leave as he saw the terror on her face. He felt something…familiar. He threw himself off of Umbra as he dissipated into the night air, once more leaving no trace that he was ever there.

"Are you okay?" His voice held the softest tone the girl had ever heard and she visibly calmed at it. "Y-y-y-yes…t-thank y-you." She tried her best to form a smile at the silver-clad savior before her but she was in too much pain and he heard the hiss of pain trying to be held back so as not to look weak. Immediately he was by her side with a cloak made from the abyssal shadows that he controlled. He handed it to her and helped it on her while trying not to look at her unbound form. "Here you go; this should be enough to keep you warm until we can get you to the hospital. Might I be able to trouble you for a name?

She looked up into him and saw the soft blue orbs that were his eyes. "H-H-H-Hinata Hyuuga." As soon as he heard the name he knew who she was in an instant. Memories came flooding back from the time that he spent with her after he saved her from being kidnapped by the emissary from Kumo. All of the good times they had and all of the things they did together. All of it was ancient history for them now that he was who he was. Then the voices in his head came back. "_**So this is that girl that you kept talking about when the Horsemen were training you? She's pretty easy on the eyes. It's no wonder that those men wanted her innocence."**_

Naruto's anger spiked but he hid it from Hinata in order to keep her as stable as he could keep her._ 'You will hold your tongue, Watcher! I will not have you saying such things about her and condoning their actions against her! If you say one more thing about her then I will crush your head once more, just as my brother once did!'_

All went quiet as the Horsemen and Vulgrim knew not to mess with him when he got like this. He felt the tiniest of weight when he picked her up and held her in a bridle style. He fell into the shadows and traveled to the hospital, coming out of the shadow of the front desk. The woman jumped as she saw this. She then saw his face, remembering the young boy that she used to kick around. It made her sad that her kicking toy was supposedly gone, so she decided that a lookalike would have to do and gave her worst scowl. "What the hell do you want?"

Naruto ignored the rudeness from her, as he had bigger problems to deal with at that point in time. "This woman has been harmed and was nearly raped by two men in an alleyway not far from here. I would appreciate it if you were to give her a room and run a diagnostic over her to make sure that she wasn't harmed extensively."

The woman just huffed and returned with the dumbest comment she could've ever said at that point. "There is no room here for a little whore who likes to get it on in an alley." With her comment said and a victorious grin on her face, she returned to her work, leaving a dangerously angered Naruto standing before her.

The blonde's eyes flashed red as he turned on his heel and left, breathing as he did. The woman continued to think that she'd won but all he did was sit her down in a chair and turn to come back. She looked back up at him to retort but fell into silence as she saw the shadows from all corners of the room closing in on him. The black patches of darkness soon came off of the ground and began to orbit around him, giving him an aura of dangerous power. She was about to scream for help until he threw his and out and caught her with an invisible grip, lifting her into the air with her groping at her neck, trying to find what held her up. **"You...will not insult her...whilst I am here! If you do...then I shall be forced to...punish you. Do you understand me you filthy, scum-sucking little bitch?"**

She nodded furiously and was relieved as he let her down and his voice returned to normal, though it did not lose its freezing edge. "Now...will you please get her a room?" She once more nodded and worked faster than light. As she handed him the sheet for her sign in, the nurses came rushing out to grab Hinata and put her onto a bed and rolled her away. Naruto turned to her with his voice filled with disgust. "Now...was that so hard?"

Her breath caught in her throat as he turned on his heel and left through the door that they took Hinata, planning on staying with her to make sure that her health didn't deteriorate. As he walked down the halls looking for the door that had her behind it, the voice of Death came up in his mind. '_Do not worry, child. The girl will survive this encounter. I'm far more concerned about you, though. You seem to have a past attachment to this girl.'_

Naruto sighed as he continued to walk._ 'It was ten years ago and we were only friends. Not only that but we were eight years old and I had rescued her. I have changed; I am no longer the Naruto that she knew...' _'_But you still hold the soul that he is.'__'Your musings of souls do not interest me very much, Death. I can no longer be who she wants, even if she is all that I would want. We all know...I left to grow stronger in order to protect her...but now I have gone too far and cannot be what she needs or desires...'_

'_**I always thought that the Horsemen were above such…earthly pursuits. I would think that her pure soul would draw you in and then you would rip her heart out with her back turned!'**_ _'I have told you once, Watcher. I will not tell you again.' _The Watcher was about to continue patronizing him until Vulgrim came up._ '__**You would do well to listen to him at this point, Watcher. He seems to be going through a tempest of emotions that he can't control. He could very easily pull you out and use you as a little punching bag.'**_

Naruto groaned and shut himself out from the voices as he came to the door. He opened it to find her in a white, automated hospital bed with the shadow cloak still on, cuddling it with a small smile adorning her porcelain face. He did not let this go unnoticed as he chuckled and smirked before speaking. "I see that you like my cloak, Hyuuga-san."

She jumped at his voice, not knowing that he was in the room and looked over to him like a deer in lights. She blushed at his words and stopped her ministrations of the soft fabric. He spoke again with his smirk changing to a smile. "Don't worry about it. I know that it is very comfortable and I myself enjoy the feeling of it whenever I feel troubled. As rough as I seem...I enjoy some of the softer and finer things in life."

She smiled softly at this and went back to petting the cloak with her hand. He walked over and took a seat beside the bed and watched her with a small smile. As he looked at her, he envied her for how easily she had grown up...not having to face the horrors of the real world at the age that he had to. She did not go oblivious to his stares and decided that then was the best time to speak up. "M-m-may...may I ask y-y-your n-name?"

He froze for a split second. He then decided against telling her his old name. "My name is Tenebrae, Hyuuga-san. I am happy to see that you are okay, at least. Just for the sake of conversation, may I ask how old it is that are you?" She nodded and answered. "I a-am S-s-sixteen…what a-age are y-you?" Naruto smiled before replying. "I am of the same age. Are you in the academy?"

She nodded her head before speaking her own reply. "Y-yes. I h-have not s-seen you a-around. A-are you n-new?" Naruto shook his head yes and spoke with a smile. "Yes I am. I am graduating with the class tomorrow after I am introduced and have taken the tests. I am guessing that they will have me fight against the Rookie of the Year. Anyway, are you graduating tomorrow as well?" She nodded and looked down before going back to petting the cloak. He smiled at her shyness. _'She hasn't changed a bit.'_

"Well then I hope that we become teammates. Good night, Hyu...Hinata-chan." She heard this and blushed a bit before nodding her head. As Naruto began to slump down, Hinata spoke up in a small voice. "You say that...so much like someone I used to know..." Naruto's eyes widened when he heard those words come from her mouth.

With her words spoken to him, Naruto looked down at her with wide eyes as she fell asleep. _'Damn it...my façade slipped for a mere second and she already recognized my old mannerisms of when I spoke. She has gotten smarter and more attentive to detail.' _The pale swordsman sighed and propped his head up before letting his own eyes close, sending him into a blissful sleep with only one thought accompanying him.

'_I only hope...that she doesn't figure out who I really am...'_

_**END:**_

**Next update of the Horseman Chronicles. Since I am only revising chapters of Horseman's Glory, they will seem the same, but with differences. I have added yet another person into the fray and the battle's are going to be a bit more...brutal...hmhm...**

**R&R**

**Elemental Shadow Out!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Here is the next revision of Horseman's Glory.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Darksiders.**

**Horsemen Chronicles**

**Chapter Three**

**Salvator Fortunatis**

The next morning came a bit faster than Naruto wanted and he awoke in a slight daze. His vision was slightly blurred from the use of his powers the night before due to the nature of his being there in the first place. When he tried to move he realized that there was a weight, albeit a small one, on top of him. With his daze leaving him, he was able to see the sleeping form of Hinata Hyuuga curled up on his lap with the cloak still draped around her small form. _**'It would seem that the girl favors her savior…don't you think, Naruto-san?'**_

Naruto sighed as he laid his head back before answering the demonic merchant's question. _'I'm not entirely sure, Vulgrim. It's quite obvious that she admires me but can I really continue to do this to her? I saved her once before this and then I disappeared. What if something were to happen and I were required to leave soon once more? That would mean that I would be leaving her again.'_

While Naruto spoke with Vulgrim, the Watcher was listening in and groaned at Naruto's words. _**"Oh for the sake of the Creator, does it really fucking matter**__**? The girl obviously wants you and you are squandering it away because of your pathetic little morals! So you don't want to sleep with a girl because of the fact that you may have to leave?"**_

This got Naruto's blood boiling as he narrowed his eyes before sending his mental reply to the sprite. _'I can not do this to her, you insolent dog! Not only that, but this conversation has nothing to do with sleeping with anyone! This is about her feelings! What if she finds out that I am who I used to be and I am REQUIRED to leave? How would she take that? I cannot allow that to happen and if I have to lie to her to protect her feelings then I shall!'_

As the pale horseman roared mentally to the malicious sprite, he soon felt the weight of the Hyuuga shift on him, telling him that she was awakening. This roused him from his thoughts and he looked down to see her staring up at him with a blush adorning her porcelain face. He smiled and spoke. "Well how are you this morning, Hinata-chan? Are you feeling okay?"

Hinata nodded her head softly before she started to snuggle into his chest again, closing her eyes with a cute little yawn. This made Naruto smile before he spoke once more to the tired heiress. "I understand that you are tired but are you planning on eventually getting up? I'm sure that the bed is more comfortable than my armor, anyway."

She shook her head no and continued to snuggle into him, gaining a small chuckle from the teen boy. Naruto glanced over at the clock that was beside the hospital bed with a smile and saw the time. "You do realize that we have only fifteen minutes to get to the classroom before they assign teams, right Hinata-chan?"

As she heard this, Hinata shot up with her eyes wide open until she realized that she didn't have a change of clothes. She looked hopefully at him, thinking that he'd know what she needed without her having to embarrass herself and say it out loud, risking someone hearing from outside. Luckily for her, he knew what she needed and used his mastery over the shadows to create a slick, long-sleeved, formfitting black outfit.

As she grabbed the outfit from him, Naruto stood before turning around so that the shy Hyuuga could change from the hospital gown that she wore. It took her a minute for her to figure out how to get it on but she was able to do it soon enough. It was simply pitch black and covered her feet with boots that seemed to be a part of the outfit itself and when she saw just how formfitting it was, she threw on the cloak that she wore the night before.

Naruto turned at just the right time as she was all dressed. Seeing that she had the cloak on, he chuckled and mused to himself about her physical shyness and modesty. As these musings ended, he smiled to her and waved his hand to the door. "So are you ready to go, Hinata-chan?"

The pale-eyed girl nodded to him and they walked out the door and down the hall. When they came to the front desk, Naruto walked over to the woman that he recognized from the night before and remembered their little incident. "Please forward the bill to the Hokage, please. And I hope that you do not do anything like last night to anyone else. Because if I find out that you did, I'll finish what I was so merciful to stop."

The woman didn't even try to argue nor speak with the dark swordsman out of fear of death and simply nodded her yes to him. As they were getting ready to walk out of the front door, they came face to face with a man dressed in white robes, about five foot nine and had the same pupil-less eyes that Hinata had. Naruto recognized him instantly as the father to Hinata, Hyuuga Hiashi. He smiled his best and bowed to the man before speaking. "Ah, good day to you Hiashi-sama! I believe that you are having a good day?"

The Hyuuga clan head looked at Naruto with disgust and scoffed at him before placing his hands into his sleeves. His voice was like ice as he spoke with a condescending tone to Naruto. "Am I supposed to know you, _commoner_? I do not think so...so remove your person from in front of my path this instant."

Naruto's eyes widened as he was visibly struck by this. Every single time that Naruto had gone over to see Hinata for a play date or just to hang out, Hiashi had always been so nice to him. He could only think one thing at that point in time. _'What happened to him?'_

The blonde tried his best to laugh and shook it off; wanting to think that it was simply a public appearance that he was trying to keep up. He did have a reputation for being rather cold to people, after all. "You probably wouldn't know me, Hiashi-sama, but I'm guessing that you know the woman beside me?"

Hiashi stiffened at the mention of her and his eyes narrowed before he spoke back to Naruto, though this time his tone was iced towards a different person. "I do know her. She is my..._daughter_. She is also a sickening disgrace to my clan. I received the message of her admittance to the hospital this morning and all of the details of why she was here. She should have been stronger than that. She should've been strong enough to stop a few rapists from trying to take out their desires upon her disgraceful body."

Naruto's eyes only widened more as he felt the venom dripping off of his voice. Not only that, but he was shocked that it was aimed directly at his own daughter. Who he had once thought of as a kind man had now become a cruel person that felt no pity for even his own flesh and blood. He visibly angered at him and clenched his left gauntlet, causing a slight bit more energy to pour out of it. "How dare you speak of her like some dog for you to control! She was caught off guard by those men and was in shock!"

Hiashi scoffed at the words that Naruto threw at him and looked over to his daughter with cold, stoic eyes. "This conversation is over now, child. I would wisely suggest that you remove yourself and allow my daughter to pass by you. Hinata, come now!"

The aforementioned Hinata sunk behind Naruto, using him to block her father from her view so that she did not have to look him in the eyes. The old man's rage was blatantly obvious to everyone in the lobby, including all of the bystanders that were either already there or were just now entering. "Hinata!"

Naruto's protective nature and judgmental rage caused his eyes to change to their full blue and it also caused his whisker marks and fangs lengthen. His voice echoed as if there were three of him speaking at once. **"She does not go anywhere with you, Hyuuga-**_**sama**_**! I will not let the innocent souls be commanded by the corrupt and tainted hearts of this godforsaken world. "**

Hiashi just scowled at Naruto and moved to grab his daughters arm from his shoulder. He was quickly stopped short by Naruto's sword at his throat, ready to slit it at a moments notice. The Hyuuga head growled and everyone in the lobby shook in fear at the growing tension between the teenager and the experienced Shinobi. "You would dare deny me, boy?"

Naruto once more spoke with his echoing voice sending chills to everyone around him. **"****I do not deny only you, Hyuuga. I deny Konohagakure no Sato as a whole. I deny everyone here that has ever wronged me. But I cannot act against them for it is my duty to protect the innocent and to exorcise the demons that reside within this world."**

Hiashi pulled back from the edge of the blade and kept his face straighter than a ruler. He turned his back to the two before speaking in a cold and unforgiving tone. "Then do whatever you wish with her. She is now your problem. I disown her. She no longer carries to Hyuuga name and is no longer aloud upon Hyuuga clan grounds."

At his final words, he left through the door that he came in through. Hearing sniffles, Naruto turned to Hinata, seeing glistening tears welling up in her eyes. His face softened as his anger left him, leaving him normal once more. She went down to the ground on her knees and Naruto followed her, kneeling down beside her. "Are you okay, Hinata-chan?"

She was hesitant at first, but then forced herself to nod slowly to the ground…trying her best to understand what had just happened before her eyes. "Why…w-why would he d-d-disown me? Was I never...g-g-good enough...i-i-in the first place?"

Sighing, Naruto used his hand to gently lift her face to his and he looked her in the eyes with his calming blue orbs. "Do not worry about him, Hinata-chan. My brothers and I shall protect you from this day forth with our lives and no one will harm you ever again. By my honor as a swordsman, no harm shall ever befall you again."

She smiled softly, still hurt but better knowing that he would be there alongside her. He lifted her into his arms the way he had her the night before and smiled down to her before speaking. "Come on now, Hinata-chan. We should get moving before we are late for the team placements."

She nodded dumbly as she felt his muscled arms around her and she consciously snuggled closer to his chest once more. Naruto took off through the streets while throwing his own cloak over to cover himself and soon moved faster than even the Sharingan could see. He launched himself off of the ground and landed on a wall running. He used Shadow Flight to gain more speed and jumped from the walls flying. The people who saw him would swear that they had seen a fallen angel dashing across the rooftops. When he lost speed, he threw away his concentration of Shadow Flight and landed with a loud 'CRASH', right outside the door to the academy.

He set Hinata down and smiled at her but couldn't help but laugh as she found it hard to stand from the adrenaline rushing through her veins from the superior speed that he had displayed while holding her. "Could you lead the way now, Hinata-chan? I'm new here and don't quite know my way around this place just yet."

She smiled and nodded. They went into the school with her body still quivering slightly but she managed to stay up. As she led him through the halls, he got caught in another conversation with the souls in his body. _'Do you really think that giving the girl the pledged protection of the Horsemen is a good idea? You know what will happen if we fail to protect her, right? You realize what can happen to us all?'_

Naruto sighed and knew from the moment that he had pledged to protect Hinata that the conversation was coming sooner or later. He honestly had hoped that it would've been later than sooner. It would've at least given him time to think of a decent argument for him to explain himself with. _'I know, Fury. While I may have overdone it a little, I think that it was necessary for the moment that we were in back there with Hiashi-teme.'_

'_I just hope that you know what you are doing, because if that happens to us, then I'll kill you myself, Naruto-san. Do you understand that? I will rip out your heart and crush the skull that harbors that brain of yours.'_

With Fury's words spoken to him, Naruto once again shut his mind off from them and continued down the hall to his and her class with her. As time passed on their walk he decided to strike up a small conversation. "So has your father always been so _charming_?"

Hinata froze for a split second before she shook her head and continued the trip to class while she began to speak. "Tou-san was a nice person once. He would always play with Hanabi-nee-chan, Naruto-kun and I when we were younger. He started to become this way after Naruto-kun was ran from the village by the mob that night... Naruto-kun was like a son to my father...the son that he had never had..."

Naruto froze in his tracks as Hinata kept on walking towards the classroom. He couldn't help but let the whisper of a thought that had squirmed into his brain out. It was low, but it was easily caught by Hinata. "So it was my fault…"

Hinata heard him mumble and turned her head to him before speak out to him. "What was that, Tenebrae-kun?" Naruto shook himself free of his troubled mind before smiling as best as he could and replied back to her. "O-oh...it's nothing, Hinata-chan. Actually, I noticed that you aren't stuttering at all like you were when I met you last night. Were you simply in shock?"

She smiled at him and walked over before giving him a gentle hug while speaking. "I guess that knowing that I now have a protector from everything is healing my broken spirit. It has been so long since anyone has ever stood up for me...and I never had the backbone to stand up for myself. It just...made me weak..."

Naruto smiled at this and looked down to her violet head before placing his armored hand over her hair. "You needn't worry about anyone else, Hinata-chan. I shall protect you with all of my power and I will not allow harm to befall you in any way shape or form. I'll stand by your side in any conflict to keep you safe."

This made the Hyuuga smile and let go of him before turning with a small blush adorning her cheeks. "I think that we should hurry and get to class, Tenebrae-kun." This made Naruto chuckle a bit before he continued to follow her down the rest of the hallway to the door to her, and in turn his, classroom. Turning to him, she listened to Naruto speak to her. "I hope that you and I may get the teams that we wish for, Hinata-chan."

Hinata smiled and gave him a quick, chaste kiss on the cheek before she nodded and slid the door open to the class. She walked in while signaling for him to wait. He did so and as she approached the desk, Naruto could hear the various comments on her choice of clothes. While she spoke with the teacher she signaled for him to come in.

When the first thud of Naruto's armored foot hit the wood inside of the room the people started to whisper back and forth with far more vigor than before. As he walked, the thuds of his feet seemed to make the class grow silent, as if they were waiting for something spectacular to happen. He soon came to a halt in front of the class and they went silent as he turned towards them and kept a straight face under the cloak of darkness that he wore. _'I think that for now, I shall allow you to indulge in your fanatical, terrorizing ways, Watcher. What say you to that?'_

The dark laughter that rang through his head was answer enough, but he then heard the voice of the aforementioned Watcher come after it. _**"You took the words clean out of my mouth, Horseman!" **_Naruto had to resist a chuckle before answering the sprite that resided within his body along with his brothers, a demon fox and a demon merchant. _'Not yet though. We shall do it when the time is perfect for them to be scared shitless.'_ _**"Oh-ho**__** I can't wait!"**_

When Naruto heard Iruka begin to speak, he then began to pull his hood down with the official greetings being read off but he came to a stop when Iruka came around to announce his name. "Class, please give a warm welcome to...what? How do you pronounce this?" Naruto turned to him with his hood still up up. "Please just do it as best as you can, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka nodded with a small smile and finished up the sentence. "Please welcome, Tenebrae!" With this being announce to everyone, Naruto turned and in a flashy flourish, his sword materializing from the shadows and his cloak was torn to shreds to reveal the silver armor underneath. _'Now, Watcher!'_

As everyone in the class except for a select few gasped in awe and fear at the sight, they now trembled as black smoke began to pour from his terrorizing left gauntlet. They watched as the smoke itself seemed to have a mind of its own as it took form of the Watcher. They stared in fear and silence as to what would happen next. The Watcher began to rise high up off of the ground and with his most serious voice, spoke as calmly as Naruto did. **"Boo."**

The children all ran screaming except for a few kids who were asleep or brooding. Even Iruka ran in terror of the thing before him. Naruto laughed as he saw them running in terror from his own power. He then turned to see Hinata with her arms crossed outside of the cloak with a look of mock-annoyance at him. He threw his hands up in defense but she then smiled and walked past him while slapping the back of his head. He turned and chuckled while following her back.

As he walked behind her and stood there, he spoke with the Watcher. **"So is that seriously all that we are going to be doing to these kids? I could think of loads more to do to them!" **Naruto sighed and shook his head. "I only wanted to scare them, Watcher. I do not wish to scar them for life. Besides...if they were afraid of you then they have no need for being in a profession like this where even weirder things happen from time to time."

The Watcher nodded his head but then switched the conversation to something far more different. **"So...this is Hyuuga Hinata, I presume? You definitely are easy on the eyes, girl." **Hinata blushed at this but Naruto narrowed his eyes dangerously at him, though this did not stop the sprite. **"I can't possibly see why Tenebrae wouldn't want to get with you...it remains one of my many unsolved mysteries. Personally I'd be out here screwing your brains out!"**

Hinata couldn't help but let her blush roar over her face, though Naruto took a far different road than her. He cocked back his arm and slugged the Watcher clean in the face, sending him flying into the double-sided chalkboard while he yelled after him. "I fucking warned you, Watcher!" As he turned back into smoke and sank into Naruto's body, the people soon came to their senses and made their way into the classroom once again. Naruto calmly took his seat next to Hinata with a small sigh.

It was at that point that Iruka began to pass out the headbands to the children that had passed the exams the day before. When he came to Naruto, he was very cautious and tossed it to him. In one swift movement, he ripped the cloth from the metal plate and slammed it onto the back right gauntlet. In an instant it was molded into the armor, never to come out. Iruka then returned to the front of the class with his normal high and happy voice. "Okay, now that our little terrifying incident is done, I will announce the teams."

The students looked on in anticipation at who they would be placed with. As the Chunnin sensei named off the first six teams, the children cheered in excitement of being tagged with their friends and buddies. He then came to the final teams that would soon, unknowingly to everyone around, create the most famous of all of the rookie squads. "Team number Seven shall be; Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura and Tene…"

As he was getting ready to name the last person for the team, a long sword with runes etched into it found its way sailing past his head and into the board behind him. He cautiously looked to see Naruto standing with a deadly look on his face. "Do not…place me…on his team! I will not stand for such a thing!"

Iruka quivered in fear at the malicious tone in his voice. He innocently pointed to the clipboard in his hands that held the team formations upon them. "B-but y-y-you were p-p-p-picked by K-K-Kakashi-san. I can't undermine his authority..."

Naruto's face softened when he heard this name. It brought back many memories and most of them were good...in a way. "Okay then...at the least, though, please remove that damned fan-girl then. I wish for the one under my protection, Hinata-chan, to be on my team with me. If you have any flak from anybody then please just tell the Hokage that I ordered it. He will hopefully understand my reasoning for this."

Iruka nodded to Naruto and tried to take a few breaths in order to calm himself before he continued on with the list of names. "Okay then. Team number Seven shall be Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata and Tenebrae underneath the Jonin instruction of Hatake Kakashi."

Sakura fell to pieces when she heard that she wasn't going to be on the same team as Sasuke. When she was out, courtesy of a quick chop to the neck by Naruto, Iruka named the rest of the teams off with Sakura being with Team Eight instead of Team Seven. "Okay, break for lunch and then come back here to meet you team's sensei. Good luck everyone and I hope to see you all again sometime!"

As the kids got up to leave, Naruto and Hinata stayed behind within the classroom by themselves. He looked over to her to see that she was looking him over. _'It's quite obvious that she has somehow become infatuated with me. But I cannot let her do this to herself. There is no love to be had with me.' _"Hinata-chan?"

She looked up to him and smiled while blushing a little bit at the sound of his voice. "Yes, Tenebrae-kun?" Naruto sighed before he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I was wondering...why is it that you have not taken your eyes off of me since you awoke in the hospital bed?" The girl blushed even harder before looking away quickly. She tried to think of an answer quickly but she was too slow.

"Do you like me, Hinata-chan?" This caught her completely off guard and she was not prepared for him to be so forward. She stopped fidgeting and began to poke her thumbs together while she also tried to think of a viable answer. "I...uh...I think...I think I do... You are a really nice person...and you saved me! You stood up for me before Tou-san and you pledged to protect me... You seem so much...you remind me so much of Naruto-kun..."

Now it was Naruto's turn to be caught off guard. _'Am I still that much like my old self? Have I really not changed when acting around her after all these years of being away? Damn it...' _Naruto was quicker to regain his composure than she was and spoke up about what she had said. "Hinata-chan...I must tell you now...I cannot get involved...with anyone...it just isn't possible for me right now..."

This made Hinata's eyes drop as she listened to him continue on in a soft voice. "It's not that I wouldn't want to ever be with you, Hinata-chan. It's that I am bound...I have committed crimes that have gained me enemies and have put me under restrictions by my lord... Until I am granted amnesty...I cannot be the one that can be with you. I hope that you understand that now..."

Hinata nodded her head quietly but kept her face down so that she didn't have to look him in the eyes. _'It has only been a single day...not even a full day...and I have already fallen for another that cannot return my feelings. It's always them...always the nice ones...the ones that protect me and the ones that stand up for me...always them that I fall for...'_

As Naruto looked at her with saddened eyes, he heard the voice of Fury come into his mind. _'Naruto-nii-san...I understand that you are trying to keep her from being hurt, but while you are under the hold of the Creator, you yourself must also be happy. I can feel in your heart that you care for this girl...you care for her more than a friend would and you want nothing more than to express it to her. At least say something to her to reassure her. Let her know that if that day will come, if she is willing to wait for you, then you would be more than happy to give a relationship a try.'_

It was then that Naruto for once thanked the Creator that he had his brothers and sister placed within him when he was so young. He looked back down to Hinata and used his finger to lift her face to his. She looked up and he saw that she was crying. While it was not hard, it was enough to make him feel bad. "Hinata-chan...I ask you to please not cry. When that day comes...if you are willing to hold on for me...if you truly do think that your feelings for me are true...then when the day comes that I am released from my servitude, I willing happily stand alongside you. I stand beside you, not only as your protector, but as your lover as well."

Hinata's eyes were wide and she smiled a big smile before engulfing him into a huge hug. He grunted a little bit but soon returned the show of affection with a smile. He looked down into her violet hair and stroked it while thinking to a certain someone in the utmost seriousness. _'Creator...please...I have done everything that you have asked of me. I have atoned for my crimes and have served you with vigor and grace. I ask only for the chance to be with the one that started all of this...the reason that I left in the first place to become stronger...'_

'_Please...'_

_**END:**_

**Next revision is up. I haven't had as much school work so I'm hoping to get back into a normal writing mantra. Fans of Outbreak do not despair! The next chapter is almost done and for those that are getting sick of the emo behavior from Naruto in that one (Much like myself {I hate emo behavior}), I'm fixing it and his balls are going to come back like fucking thunder!**

**R&R**

**Elemental Shadow Out!**


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